Carbon-pencil-feeding mechanism



"'Feb.- 7, 1928.

- c. 5. CHARLES CARBON PENCIL FEEDING MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet Filed Aug. 19, 1926 L INVENTOR WI M BY 72mm), @4019, ATTORN EY Feb. 7, 1928.

C. 5. CHARLES CARBON PENCIL FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 19, 15526 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY i 7 w w Patented Feb. 7,1928.

c sp nes]; 3, CII ARLYES, F NEWVHAVEN, qoNnEqTIcUm, Assienon muwuqcnizsmn REHEATING ARMS COMPANY; 01 HAVEN, CQNJSTECTICUT, A CORIEORATION 0F cesson-emy xnw sbinsfMECHA SM e pncj si n fi egAu ust 13, 1 92.6. gertal x isogez.

This invention relz testo automatic lilacl'ii ielyfoi" use in the manufacture of electric cells or similar devices, and inore par: tieul arly cqncei'hs aniechanism fo automatically feeding czipped carbon electpo des Q1; pencils to a; tali ping machine o other clei ice with their capped ei dsin :11 p1 edetermined relation. i

Iii the hianiifacture of electric-cells of the type coi iiio ilyhneiyn as dry c ellsl-theposL tive e1- cent i'z l electrede is usually formed 0 f carbon, an in order to obtain; a good electiriczil coi nectioii between such czti'hen electrode or pe lcih is it is sometimes cgillecl,

amdthe exteinal electrical circuit is! Well as ts 0tect the prot ud' ing end of such electrode, a cqpbf'bi'ass, copper 0i other suitable conducting i mtei'ial isseci retl overone end thereof. Thecells are usually made by .n' zich'inery; and gisthecell cores are ordinal-f iily lei-med in the upright position; it is necessary that the pencils of central elect 'odes be fed the cOi'efmn'fing machine in the'upi'ight pesition, that iy'ithlthe capped ends" of the pencils uppermost.

With the ,abpve considerations iii mind, it

is an lobject oi the pieseiit inventibn to pievicle a mechanism for continuously and au to n zttically mirag g; capped central electrodes ctpe ncils lei diy cells. witlpthei'r c apped eijds upward, and fer'feediiigthese pencils to 1 tfillllfllllg 101' core-forming mschine in this positiq 7 It is a further object f this inve itien to previde a mechanism cf this character ii'hich is p 'u e a PQh v a d whih semi-tinged end formed a's 'tb pi'evide heady access to thei iteiierfthei'eof for mov'ahef'hickefi pencils 7 um- "specificv "ebjecte advantages; and cherzieteristic features of the present inventhe purpose of adjustnientgrld "for the ElOlIWlll be p'eintetl put, 0r ill become appai'entfz s the description thereof piogi esses.

lescriliipgthe invention in amine-t 'erence will be made to the accpmpa ying drz fivings, in which Fig'ttel is a sectie ml, side elevation of the ihechapism comprising the present inj e ntlbll; together itlitlie men-11s for feeding the pencils to 'thijs mechanism; l

nisriii ,V Figure 3 isa secticpal s deelevz tionishowigu e plgihview f the n echa i g thepencils ii the p QQQ$$ 0f being g rc 'zm d yt he me msm;

ig e. ,7 sfaf ei on on he l ne of l e' i Figure Referring t the drawings, the mechanism ct the present invention comprises, in gem 611a P ncil, re e -s ne B, Provide w th steed tube Tends delivery chute C.

The pencils 1 are fed through the feed tube T to t 1e reversing box 13 there errar gedin a predetei -mm"df' elmtion Q Il (l fijf end" and delivered threugh the dehvei'y chute C to a hatte y -tan'ipihg' or cell-form ng machine (llQfSlliOWIl). v 1 s c The pencils 1 comp 'ise cylindrical carhen I'OdS, which, are prdviclegl at-piieend, with A p 2 b bmsl or other s tab cc ldu bi igme e a hes caps' eie xedte h p fcils in 'ariy siiitable mzim er a machine e for t t pu pqs; and r irlbii kl at s1; able eontafinerpif hcppe (notshpwi to fleibelt a a it the pul y The belt 2), tgether with the belt. 5, carried by itlieflp llsys fie d '4 de v r h Pen j F lj-ll e ffe iefil'ljl lb fi T, the enlarged cappe cl'ei ds 2 of thepeiieils beii gflfrictidnally engaged between the belts, slid the pencils being shitbl i ui eds a o n er th eed t'ub iirloxig ii ltal snedi' li i h 'Thefeecl be Tis Pi-Qvicletl with a bore ,Qr? centr 'p enins 8 sl h l i se dirt e n tei han t i ts d fii fliidl? Ofth apipe le dsf'zrp t Re s lls; m d' e pl bii e eed end jfifl e spelt 1. 2; h w 7, wh iel .W h 'pi b s ar wise sui abl conn c s 1 re $iI ox 13 the reduced and portidh 9' of the feed tube ehte'riiig an opening in theentl fthe box. A

i e ieversipg heft B isgfornie d" in two En g d sec e f im a tively. 'vided, at their lower edges, with cut-away portions 27 and 28, these cut-away portions and 18, as shown in Figure 1. The lower opening18 is tapered downwardly to form a passageway which is slightly smaller at the lower edge of the box than it is at the opening'from the cylindrical portion 15.

Just beyond the center of the cylindrical chamber 15, an opening 19 is formed in the box section 10, and directly opposite this opening, in the box section 11, is formed a corresponding openin 20. Two gage-blocks 21 and 22 are secured in the openings 19 and 20 by means of the machine screws 28 and 24 respectively. These gage-blocks 21 and 22 are provided with inwardly projecting portions and 26 which extend into the central cylindrical chamber 15 of the reversing box at a point slightly below the horizontal diameter thereof. These gage-blocks are so disposed and arranged as to be a distance apart slightly greater than the outside diameter of the carbon pencil 1', but are slightly closer together than the outside diameter ofthe metallic caps 2 of the penoils. The arrangement of the gage-blocks 21 and 22 with respect to the diameters of the capped, and uncapped portions of the pencil 1 is shown in Figures 6 and 7 respec- The gage blocks 21 and 22 are probeing located at the ends of the gage-blocks which are remote from the feed tube end of the reversing box, as most clearly shown in Figure 1. The ends of the gage blocks which extendqtoward the feed tube T are slightly rounded or beveled, as shown at 29.

A delivery chute C is secured to the lower face of the reversing box B, and comprises a trough-shaped rear section and a front section or cover plate 31, these sections being secured to the reversing box sections 10 and 11 respectively by means of screws 32 and 33, as clearly shown in Figure 4c. The de livery chute C is tapered toward this lower means. The pencils are then delivered to 18 or the box B. gage-blocks are arranged a suiiicient distance shown in Figure 6.

the feed tube T by the belt 3 and the cooperating belt 5, these belts being continuouslydriven from the pulleys i and 6, which in turn are driven by a suitable source of power, not shown. The arrangement oi the pencils 1 as they enter the tube Twill be entirely haphazard, some entering with their capped ends leading, and others with their uncapped ends leading. Assume for the moment that a pencil enters the tube T with the uncapped end leading. As the pencil enters the reversing box, being pushed itlOllg by the following pencils, itis held in a substantially horizontal position by the cylindrical shape of the chamber 15 until the uncapped end has passed to a point between and above the gageblocks 21 and 22. At this point the capped end 2 of the pencil passes into the space below the upper openings 17 of the box, and here swings up wardly into this opening, as shown in Figure 1, the uncapped end passing downwardly between the gage-blocks 21 and 22, as shown in Figure 7, into the delivery chute C, the entire pencil being pivoted about the point 8st at the edge of the tapered lower opening As explained above, the

apart to permit the passage of the uncapped end of the pencil 1 therebetween. The pencil is thus dropped into the deliverychute G and passes on into the cell-forming machine with the uncapped end downward,

Now assume that a pencil 1 enters the reversing box B with its capped end foremost. In this case, as the pencil is pushed into the box, its capped end 2 is engaged between and supported by the gage-blocks 21 and 22 before the uncapped end passes under the upper opening 1'4", the beveled portion 29 of the gage blocks guidingthe cappedend oi the pencil to a position therebetween, as

maintained in a. horizontal position, the

capped end beingsupported by the gageblocks and the -un upped end bein supreversingbox- B. iris soon the uncapped end otthe pencil l is pushed, beyond the point 3% at the edge of the lower opening 18 ot' the box, this in rapped end falls downwardly. as shown in Figure the capped end falling: beyond th gage-blocks and 22 and striking the t or ed edge of the openlng 18, thus SWlIl, mg thepencilto a position in which it will enter the delivery chute C with the uncai inied' enddownward. The cut-away portions 27 of the gage-blocks 21 and 22 permit the capped e nd2 of the pencil 1, to pass between the gage-blocks and the inclined face of the opening The pencil is thus delivered through thechute C to the cell-forming machine wan-us cupped enduppermost; if it becomes ecessary to open the box B The pencil is thus iii) li-T- lib for the purpose of making'an adjustment or ,in order to permit the removal of a broken pencil, the sect-ion 11, together with the plate 31 of the delivery chute G, is swung .outwardly and upwardly from tlie'section lOto the position shown in broken lines in Figure 5. The feed tube '1 may be secured to either .of the sections 10 and 11, but is preferably secured to tile section 11 and swings out- 'wardly with this section for inspection and arehinged together, the interior thereof is readily accessible for the purpose ofycleaning or adjusting-the gage locks 21 aiidQiZ, or to permit the removal of frgments of broken pencils. In this connection, it should be observed that the design of the reversing box B is such that there very little likelihoodof the pencils becoming jammed or broken therein, all of the surfaces and guides with 'Whiclit-he })i1CllS CO1'l1G- into contact being rounded or beveled to prevent t-heircutting or morning the pencils.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with one Specific form of mechanism, it should be clearly understood that the invention is not lin'iited to the paiticular embodiment shown, and

feeding said objects into said chamber in longitudinally aligned relation, and'means in said chan'iber for su g'iortingsaid enlarged portions of said objects but not the remaining,cylindrical portions of said objects, whereby said objects are permittedto drop through said opening only with their enlarged cylindrical ends uppern'iost.

2. In a mechanism "for ai anging, in a predetermined relation, elongated; cylindrical objects having enlarged portions at one end, reversingbox having ahorizontalcylindrical chamber and a lower opening connected therewith, means for feeding said objects into said box in longitudinally aligned relation, and mean's in said horizontal ch tin:

ber,fover said lower opening, for COQpQFillh.

ing withfland supportingthe enlarged ends of one of said objects while the small end thereof is supported byone edgev of said opening to preventsaid objects from entere ing said opening with theirenlarged ends downward. I a

In a mechanism ifor arranging, in a predetermined relation, elongated cylindri: cal objects having enlarged capped ends, a reversing box having a longitudinally extending cylindrical chamber and an opening in the lower side of the box connected witlrsaid chamber, means for feeding said objects into said chamber in longitudinally aligned relation, andspacedmeans protrnd ing from opposite sides of said chamber over said opening for momentarily engaging said cappend ends of said objects when said objects are fed into said chamber with their capped ends leading, said protruding means being spaced a sufficient distance apart to permit theuncapped portions of said objects to drop into said opening,whereby said objects are dropped intosaid opening. with their uncapped ends downward;

4.,In' a mechanism for arranging capped electrodes for batteries in a predetermined relation, a: reversing box having a longu tudinally extending cylindrical chamber and a downwardly extending tapered opening connected with said chamber, means for pushing said electrodes into said chamber in alined relatiomand gage blocks protruding into said chamber from opposite side walls thereofys'aid gage blocks being spaced f apart a distance greater than the diameter of the uncapped portions of saidelectrodes but less than the; diameterof thecapped ends of said electrodes, whereby an electrode pushed into said chamber with its'uncapped end leading is permitted to an between said blocks and to enter said opening with its uncapped end downward, and an electrode pushed into said. chamber with its capped end leading-is maintained in a substanti; horizontal pos tion by the engagement o t s capped end with said gagesbloclrs until its uncappedend falls downwardly through said opening; 7

5; In a mechanism for arranging capped carbon pencils for battery cells, a reversing box havlng a longitudinally extending chamber Vanda itlownwardly'tapered lower openingconnected to said 'chambegfia f d tube connected to said box andhav'ing acentral opening-cooperating wra th-d chamb'er, means for continuouslypushing capped carbon pencils into said chamber through said feed tube, and means for causing said pencils to drop through said lower opening in said reversingbm with their capped ends uppermost, regardless ofwhich end of said pencils enters saidchamber first,comprising, two gage-blocks protrudinginto said chamber from the opposite side walls thereof at a point above said lower opening, said in a horizontal position by the engagement of 1 the gage-blocks with its cap until the uncapped end thereof drops into said opening.

6., In a mechanism for arranging capped carbon pencils in a predetermined relation, areversing box comprising two sections having cooperating grooves and cut-away por tions forming a horizontal chamlr coir nected with a lower opening, means tor removably retaining said sections in cooperating relationship, means for capped carbon pencils into said chamber in longitudinally aligned relation, an inwardly protruding extension in the interior of said chamber for engaging the capped ends 01" said pencils andpermitting said pencils to drop through said lower opening with their capped ends uppermost, regardle s of the direction in which said pencils are pushed into said box.

7. In a mechanism for arranging capped carbon pencils for dry cells in a predetermined relation, a reversing box comprising two cooperating sections having groovesand cut-away portions on the cooperating surfaces thereof forming a hor zontal cyhndrical chambe' connected wltli an opening in the lower side of the box, hinged means for removably securing said sections in cooperating relation, means for pushing capped carbon pencils into said chamber in longitudinally aligned relation, and oppositely disposed gage-blocks removably secured in the walls of said chamber over said lower opcning,rand protruding into the interior of said chamber for engaging the capped ends of said pencils and dropping said pencils through said opening with their capped ends uppermost, regardless of the direction in which said pencils are pushed into said box. v

,8. In a mechanism for arranging capped carbon pencils for dry cells in a predetermined relation, a reversing box comprising two cooperating sections having grooves therein which cooperate to form a horizontal pushing chamber opening into a downwardly extending tapered passage, hinged means at the upper edges of said sections for hingedly securing said sections together, means for pushing carbon pencils into said chamber in longitudinally aligned relation, said pencils having one end thereof provided with an enlarged cap, means in said chamber for dropping said pencils through said passage with their capped ends uppermost regard less of which end of said pencils enters said chamber first, and a downwardly tapered delivery chute surrounding the lower end of said passage, said delivery chute comprising two cooperating sections, each secured to one of said reversing box sections.

9. In a mechanism for arranging, in a predetermined relation, carbon pencils provided with enlarged caps at one end, a re versing box having a horizontally extending chamber and lower and upper openings communicating with said chamber, means for pushing capped carbon pencils into said chamber in longitudinally aligned relation, and means extending into the interior of said chamber for engaging the capped ends of the pencils which enter said chamber with their capped ends leading and dropping such pencils through said lower opening with their capped ends upward, said upper opening permitting the capped ends otthe pencils which enter said chamher with their uncapped ends leading to swing upwardly as their uncapped ends swing downwardly into said lower opening.

10. In a mechanism for arranging, in a predetermined relation, capped carbon pencils for dry cells, the capped ends of said pencils having a greater diameter than the uncapped portions thereof, a reversing box having a horizontal chamber communicating with a downwardly extending opening, means for pushing said pencils into said chamber in longitudinally aligned relation,

the pencils which enter said chamber with their uncapped ends leading being dropped directly through said lower opening with their capped ends upward, and means in said chamber for reversing the pencilswhich enter said chamber with their capped ends leading, comprising inwardly protruding oppositely disposed extensions for engaging the capped ends of said pencils and maintaining said pencils in a substantially horizontal position until the uncapped ends thereof fall downwardly into-said opening. In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

cnnwonn s. onannns.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,658,428. Granted February 7, 1928, to

CLIFFORD S. CHARLES.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 85, claim 3, for the word "eappend read "capped" and line 100, claim 4, for the misspelled word "alined" read "aligned"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of March, A. D. 1928.

M. J. Moore,

Seal. Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

